


Kuroko no Horror Stories

by NZStella



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, Ghosts, Gore, Minor Character Death, Paranormal, Psychological Torture, Psychological Warfare
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-26
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-26 15:29:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1693346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NZStella/pseuds/NZStella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shot fics surrounding horror stories with the characters of KnB. All are in different timelines. Each chapter is based upon another story unless stated to be original. Warnings inside as well.</p><p>Chapter 2: Mayuzumi should've kept his mouth shut, and Akashi makes his worst choice yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Monkey's Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Important; please be aware: these stories are not for the faint of heart. All of these stories will be of the horror genre. These will have graphic depictions of violence, and plenty of triggers. This first story has gore, as well as a few spoilers from the manga. You have been warned.

The first time, Kuroko was startled. But it was just a shock, nothing more.

He had quickly dismissed it as a fleeting nightmare, but the way he was clutching at his shirt like a lifeline, sweating profusely, tears streaming down his face, heart hammering in his chest, was definitely nothing to be dismissed a second time. Especially at the last grim message that rang in Kuroko's ears.

It first started when he just began attending Teiko, not long after he joined the basketball club and entered the 3rd string. Ogiwara had even laughed it off when he messaged him about the dream. At the time, Kuroko realized, there was  _only_  Ogiwara to confide in.

' _Hmm…sounds rather creepy'._  Ogiwara had replied. The following message being,  _'You sure you haven't been reading too many mystery novels?'_

His message was to jokingly jab at Kuroko's choice in literature, but it put a small smile on Kuroko's face nevertheless.

' _They are mystery novels, Ogiwara-kun. Not horror.'_  Kuroko wrote back.

Kuroko did figure it was nothing, though. Ogiwara soon replied back to that, which persuaded him into forgetting about the dream soon enough.

The dream started out normally, at least looking realistic. Kuroko, for once, was aware that he was dreaming. He was standing at a train station that was dimly lit, late at night. He could not see far enough ahead to observe the area around the station, and even before he tried to, a dull, droning voice came up on the station's announcements.

"The train is approaching. If you get on, something scaaary will happen to youuu…"

Kuroko blinked once at the odd announcement, not quite knowing what to think.

The train slowly pulled up and came to a stop, an entrance right in front of Kuroko. It wasn't a freight train, or a shinkansen* like he had anticipated. It was much smaller, like a train you'd see at an amusement park to cater to energetic children and their parents, who needed a break from chasing their kid around all day.

The train screamed suspicious. Kuroko contemplated whether to step onto the train, he figured he could probably just pinch himself awake or something if it got weird.

Stepping on, Kuroko tried to comfortably seat himself in the train, picking the third seat from the back. There was a man in the seat furthest back, a woman next to him, and a few other adults scattered around the train. He recognized no one.

"The train is departiiing…" The announcer said, and Kuroko finally took in the atmosphere of the place. The air around him was warm, almost stagnant.

' _Strange…'_ Kuroko thought, since the train was not sealed off, and air would have circulated well.

Soon, the train entered a tunnel, and the whole place was lit with an eerie hue of purple. It wasn't too odd for Kuroko, it was similar to a Halloween themed ride at an amusement park. Then, the announcer came on again.

"Next station, Sliced Alive, Sliced Aliiive...*"

Kuroko raised a brow at this, why would food be mentioned here? Fish was certainly good, but-

A loud, panicked scream broke out from behind Kuroko, coming from the man seated furthest back. Turning around, he witnessed a grotesque scene.

Four midgets in torn up rags had surrounded the man, all wearing monkey masks. They each held large knives, and with no hesitation, began to cut up the man.

They hacked into his flesh mercilessly, cutting deeper, slicing, maiming, and ignoring the tortured screams as the man cried out in agony. Kuroko couldn't even recognize anything beyond large chunks of meat and blood puddles when the masked midgets were done. A putrid smell began forming as the remains of the man were left strewn in his seat and the midgets shuffled away. He turned away, wide eyed and visibly shaken from the event. Before he faced away, he took in the disturbed face of the woman directly behind him, petrified and trying to mask any fear with a stony demeanor. Her pale complexion, however, clearly gave it all away. He faced forward, and reminded himself that it was only a dream.

Soon enough, the announcer's voice came on again, "Next stop, Gouging Out, Gouging Ouuuut…"

Kuroko heard shuffling, and he slowly turned around again to see that two midgets this time shuffled out, brandishing spoons with serrated edges. A helpless scream came from the woman, who started to struggle, but soon enough the midgets dug the spoons into her eyes, gouging them out. Kuroko couldn't bear the excruciating screams, and he quickly turned back around. His ears rang from the woman, who he could probably guess ended up like the man.

Shaking, he decided enough was enough. The next stop would inevitably be his "stop."

He tried to stand up, but was shaking too violently, and quickly sat back down. He felt powerless and wanted to throw up. This was his own mind for goodness sake!

' _Wake up, wake up..!'_  Kuroko chanted in his mind, pinching his cheek. The announcement was going to come!

"Next stop, Minced Meat, Minced Meaaaat…"

Out of nowhere, the two midgets from earlier appeared on Kuroko's lap. He jolted, for there was an odd contraption in their hands that emitted a high-pitched whirring noise as it revved up.  _A meat grinder._

Kuroko pinched himself harder, to the point of drawing blood. _'Wakeupwakeupwakeup!'_

The blades from the machine drew closer to Kuroko's face. Close enough that he could feel the wind from them.

He knew it was the end. He wouldn't be able to escape the deepest recesses of his mind after this.

And then there was silence.

* * *

It had been nearly four years since the first dream. Kuroko of course, never thought about it again, especially after all the events in Teiko. A dream that was a bit frighteningly realistic was nothing in comparison to nearly a year and a half of unease.

The second time happened almost immediately after the Winter Cup.

The tournament was done and over with, and Kuroko was relieved of their final victory. Apparently, his inner consciousness didn't agree with that.

He dozed off on the bench of a basketball court after a practicing his Phantom Shot. His aim was slightly off though, which was odd, and thinking about it, he shouldn't have dozed off so close to the turn of evening.

He didn't mean to fall asleep.

"…Next stop, Gouged Out…Next stop, Gouged Ouuut…" Came the accursed drone of the announcer.

Every memory of the dream came rushing back, Kuroko slowly hugged himself, waiting for the inevitable.

The inorganic voice of the woman followed, and Kuroko's could feel his stomach lurch as he recognized the woman this time.

He hesitantly raised his head, paralyzed as the two midgets maimed his female friend, Momoi, going through the process of scooping her eyes out and deforming her from there.

"M-momoi-san…" He stuttured, and fear and nausea overtaking his system _. 'Wake up…wakeup…WAKEUP!'_  He used both hands to pull at his cheeks this time, even digging his nails into them and scratching, creating wounds.

"Next stop, Minced Meat…Minced Meeaaat…"

Kuroko began clawing at his face, gritting his teeth against the pain, tears beginning to form, and stomach about to push up his earlier meal at the stench of blood.

The two midgets once again, revved up the contraption. The whirring of the blades approached Kuroko, and he chanted over and over to wake up. The blades began cutting into his hand on his face.

With a choked garble, the dream ended.

"…Running away again? The next time will be  _your last_."

* * *

"…roko.."

"…Kuroko!"

"Wake up, Kuroko!"

The teal head in question jerked forward, sitting up on the bench he was so grateful was there.

"Oi, are you all right?" Kagami frowned, genuinely worried for his partner. He had bent down to Kuroko's level, and supposedly shaken Kuroko awake.

Though, Kuroko couldn't focus on that. Feeling the wet trace of tears on his face, he swiped at his face, while the other free hand gripped at his shirt near his loudly beating heart.

Panting heavily, Kuroko could only focus on the words that ringed in his ears before he left the dream.

No. It was not in the dream. The voice came from outside, the real world. Realizing this, Kuroko finally directed his terrified gaze at Kagami, making him flinch.

"K-kagami-kun…" Kuroko started, but his eyes slid to stare off into nothingness, trauma evident.

Kagami winced, "...What the hell were you dreaming about?" He questioned, softly.

Kuroko began shaking, still breathing irregularly, he instead asked, "What time is it?" The sun had set, and only the city lights illuminated Kagami's physique.

Kagami, slightly off-put, pulled out his cellphone and checked. "Almost seven P.M."

Kuroko merely nodded, and silence overtook.

Kagami shifted uncomfortably. He really wanted to know what Kuroko dreamt about, if he was writhing on the bench like that. Who knows what could've happened, Kuroko might have fallen off the bench at that rate. But, he figured that all Kuroko really wanted right now was to calm down and find comfort.

Which, Kagami wasn't very good at.

"Thank you for waking me up, Kagami-kun," Kuroko did not look up, and instead stared at his hands.

Kagami glanced at Kuroko, not replying.

' _Why did I have that dream again? Those last words…'_ Kuroko shivered, he really didn't want to go to sleep tonight.

"Let's go."

Kuroko finally looked up, seeing Kagami had already stood up and was waiting expectantly.

"I'll take you over to my place…" Kagami shifted in place, looking away. "...I get the feeling that you don't want to be alone," he idly scratched his cheek with his finger.

Kuroko, almost astonished, let a small smile grace his features. "I would like that, Kagami-kun." 

Kagami returned it with a grin.

* * *

 **A/N:** This story is based off the creepy Japanese urban legend, “Monkey Dream (Saru Yume)” It is basically what you just read. The translation I read of this can be found at sayainunderworld (blogspot).

1) A shinkansen is a Japanese high speed bullet train.

2) The translation here is “Ikizukuri,” which is the Japanese delicacy of seafood that is literally sliced alive and served alive.

I’d like to say it was very difficult writing this, since horror stories aren’t a forte of mine, as well as that I don’t exactly enjoy putting Kuroko or Momoi in these type of situations. I love both characters, but these stories are for the purpose of being creepy.


	2. One King to Rule Them All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayuzumi should've kept his mouth shut, and Akashi makes his worst choice yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos!
> 
> This chapter is headcanon heavy (especially pertaining to Akashi's life). If you love Akashi as a character, this might be considered angsty. This has spoilers for the Rakuzan team, as well as the newest Replace Novel V. I also don't know how the Rakuzan players refer to each other, excuse me for that.
> 
> Sass master Mayuzumi here, lol.
> 
> Important: This chapter has psychological warfare type themes.

" _The fake and the original…to have you compare them is most vile."_  –Akashi Seijūrō

* * *

Akashi, as astute as he is about situations, really felt that he made the wrong move here, not like he'd ever admit that out loud. Maybe he should've thought twice, and had gotten more input for this.

Why did he decide to do this again?

Maybe it was because that senior of his, Mayuzumi, who first brought up the idea. No, wait, maybe it was Hayama, who dared him into playing the game. Then again, Mibuchi had tried to coax him into forgetting about it, saying it was much too dangerous.

No, wait.

Mayuzumi was the trigger.

Who knows what Nebuya was doing.

Right now, it was to go in and take his throne, or to leave his house until the sun rose up.

But the victors, those with power, deserved- no-  _belonged_  on the throne.

Akashi nodded with renewed confidence, and proceeded into the dark, sealed off room.

* * *

"Akashi."

Akashi turned on his spot, facing Mayuzumi who was sitting on the bleachers in the gym during basketball practice, water bottle in hand. Akashi wiped some stray sweat off his face with a small towel, before asking, "What is it, Chihiro?"

Mayuzumi hesitated, like he was contemplating a difficult decision. "…Nevermind," He shook his head.

Akashi stared. "I'm genuinely curious about what you were going to say. It sounds important, Chihiro," His eyes bore into Mayuzumi's eyes, while the senior just stared back, unblinking.

They proceeded to have a stare down for about ten seconds before Mayuzumi finally relented, moving his gaze to his water bottle.

"Do you believe in the paranormal?"

Akashi couldn't help but raise a brow at this, clearly not expecting something like that. "I don't believe in phenomenon such as ghosts, if that's what you're asking."

Mayuzumi scoffed, "Why am I not surprised," he let a sneer make its way to his lips.

The red head narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Don't mind me," Mayuzumi dismissed. "What I'm asking is if you've heard of a game called, 'Three Kings.'"

"I've never heard of such a game. Do tell," Akashi moved to join Mayuzumi on the bleachers.

"What, what? Does Mayuzumi-san have a story to tell?"

Both of them looked to see Hayama walking up to them, basketball in hand. He began spinning the ball on his index finger, then cupped his other hand to the side of his face, shouting, "Heyyy! Reo-nee! You've gotta come hear this! Mayuzumi-san's got something interesting to say!"

The senior gave him the stink eye, staring at Hayama with an expression akin to _, 'How are you not dead?'_  Even so, he remained silent as Akashi let out a huff of laughter.

Said flamboyant raven, who was across the gym practicing some three-pointers, glanced their way. He sauntered over, shooting the ball into the storage crate. Noticing Mayuzumi's expression, he said to Hayama, "Are you sure, Kou-chan? It doesn't look like Chihiro-chan really wants to share."

Hayama frowned, jutting his lips. "It's probably going to be interesting for once! Mayuzumi-san is going to tell us a spooooky story!" He dropped the ball, wiggling his fingers like they were crawling.

 _'Why am I even on this team.'_  Mayuzumi couldn't help but think, as a reaction to Hayama implications.

Mibuchi raised a brow at Hayama's actions. He instead asked, "Where's Ei-chan?"

"He said he'd be doing some extra training in the weight training room," Akashi clarified.

"Ah. So," Mibuchi addressed Mayuzumi, "What's this story about?" he smiled expectantly.

The phantom player sighed. "All right, so this is a type of ritual that some people test out. It's said to end up horrifyingly, and some people have ended up insane," Mayuzumi took a swig from his water bottle.

"Okay, okay…sooo?" Hayama had inserted himself near the senior, eyes bright and anticipating.

"This is one that you have to have specific conditions for. If you do it wrong, it won't work. As I said, this game is called 'Three Kings.' The object of the game is to enter another dimension and to speak with two other beings for a period from 3:33 A.M. to 4:34 A.M."

"Beings?"

"I'm getting to that. You need a secluded room, one without windows. The materials include three chairs, two large mirrors, an electric fan, a candle, a lighter, a valuable possession, a phone, a bucket of water, and preferably an alarm.

"You start by setting up the three chairs at about 11 P.M. The middle one is your throne facing north, while the two others are placed beside the middle one, facing it. You place the large mirrors against the two chairs beside you, and the mirrors should be placed to only reflect your peripheral view when looking forward. You should avoid looking at the mirrors at all costs. The 'beings' are The King, The Queen, and The Fool."

"Hm? But you said it was called, the Three Kings," Hayama tilted his head, confused.

"When playing, your job is to figure out who The King, The Queen, and The Fool are. The two other chairs should reflect them, even though you should not look at them. In their eyes, they are The King, hence the name: Three Kings," Mayuzumi supplied.

Hayama gulped.

"So what are those other materials for?" Mibuchi brought up.

"The electric fan is to be placed behind you and turned onto a low setting. The candle should be held or placed in front of you. It's important that both are level with each other. It's the first measure that could save your life if things go wrong. Your body should block the fan from blowing out the candle, but say, you are dragged from your seat, the fan will blow out the candle to end the ritual.

"The second is the valuable possession, which is supposed to act as a talisman for protection. The third is the phone, which someone should use to call you to interrupt the ritual. The fourth is the bucket of water, which, if someone is with you, at least in the house, but not in the room, can pour it on you to stop it. But these are all used only if you don't make it through until 4:34."

"So by what you've said so far, the alarm is there to wake you up by 3:33 A.M., or earlier," Akashi said.

Mayuzumi nodded. "The alarm is to wake you up at 3:30 A.M. You have to light the candle, get your cellphone, your valuable possession, and get to the room to sit on your throne before 3:33.

"There are tricky parts here. If your cellphone doesn't have power, or if your alarm didn't go off at the correct time, you have to abort the mission. You had to have left the door to the room open, and if it's closed when you get there, you have to abort. You also had to have left the fan on till then. If it's off, you must abort.

"Should you abort, you must leave your house until at least 6 A.M. If everything goes well, you take your seat, protect your candle, do not look at the mirrors, and instead look straight ahead into the darkness," The gray eyed senior finished, taking a breather.

The three other Rakuzan players were silent, thinking to themselves.

Finally, Hayama spoke up.

"Akashi, you should try the game!"

The redhead looked at his hyperactive teammate carefully, "Why should I?"

Mayuzumi beat Hayama to the punch, "You're always spouting that nonsense of yours like, 'I'm absolute' or whatever. Plus, you're the King of Solitude,*" He said, off-handendly. A smirk threatened to form on his face at his use of his nickname for the young captain.

The redheaded "king" turned cold eyes at Mayuzumi, who was looking away innocently across the gym. He sighed, "Would any of you be willing to partake in this with me?"

"Sei-chan, don't. No one knows what might happen. We may be your friends, but I don't feel fit to help you with the supernatural," Mibuchi said, attempting to persuade Akashi out of it.

"Yeah, you can count me out as well…haha," Hayama trailed off, clearly spooked at the idea of helping Akashi with a ritual.

"Then there's no reason I should even attempt something like this. Though, even if by chance one of you accompanied me in this, I doubt it would be beneficial in any way, shape, or form," The red head decided, knowing it'd just be a waste of time and effort.

"…Going to just leave proving your supreme authority?"

The junior turned his narrowed heterochromatic eyes toward his senior. "Are you questioning me?"

The aloof teen shrugged. "Clearly, if you can't prove yourself to a little game that may or may not work, your reputation of absolute authority won't be as impeccable anymore, right?"

"Chihiro-chan, don't provoke him," scolded Mibuchi, casting a disapproving glance at how unperturbed Mayuzumi was about all this.

"No, he has a point."

"Sei-chan?"

Akashi stood up, letting his gaze fall down towards the sitting senior. He crossed his arms, completing his signature condescending stance. "If Chihiro is so skeptical of my superiority, he should join me in my efforts tonight to provide evidence that  _no one_  opposes me," Akashi smirked down at his senior, exuding an aura of utter command.

Mayuzumi looked up, finally provoked. He glared at the basketball captain, hurriedly standing up to gain the upper hand and instead look down upon the red head. He quickly realized what he had done, and mentally kicked himself for taking the ever so obvious bait. This was one of his worst choices. Akashi would probably hunt him down if he didn't obey, or he'd end up in an accident where no one could help him. Either way, he was stuck in between a rock and a hard place. "…Tch," He grit his teeth.

Akashi was simply staring back up at him, unruffled as ever.

"…Do what you want." Mayuzumi resigned to his fate, turning away and striding out of the gym.

"Ah! Mayuzumi-san!" Hayama started, about to chase after him.

"Let him gather his bearings, Kotarou. Chihiro just realized he didn't think through the consequences of his actions," The young captain stared at the retreating figure, knowing he had won.

* * *

"Your home is huge."

The gray eyed senior stared off at the imposing mansion, having just arrived by taking a few buses and walking towards the entrance of the gate. It was about ten at night, Akashi had been waiting specifically at the gate so he wouldn't have to deal with guards around the place. Though, he wasn't necessarily pleased, considering he really didn't want to be anywhere near his younger captain.

"How are we going to avoid all the servants and your family at 3 A.M.?" The senior didn't really expect for Akashi to have servants, but with the size of that house…

"We are not staying in my home. That would be a foolish choice," Akashi held up a set of keys. "I was able to obtain a much smaller house for this occasion."

Mayuzumi stared pointedly at the other, slightly curious, yet didn't care enough to ask. He finally noticed the lack of baggage the younger teen had, deducing that Akashi had probably already set up whatever was needed in the other house.

He finally sighed, "Which way?"

Akashi beckoned for the senior to follow. "The place is not far, approximately five blocks from here."

Mayuzumi silently strode behind the redhead, wanting to avoid any conversation along the way.

_'I want to go home...'_

* * *

Mayuzumi swore under his breath.

How is  _this_  small?

He and Akashi clearly had different definitions of small. Mayuzumi wanted to hold his face in his hands and punch his captain in the face at the same time. The house was contemporary in style, and could at least hold a family of six. It was only two floors, but looked spacious from the outside. He himself didn't even live in a home with more than six rooms!

Akashi apparently noticed his distress, and merely said, "I apologize if it is not to your liking, I would have gotten a larger place, had I not-"

"Stop," the senior interrupted.

_'Dear God, why?'_

Akashi raised a brow at his antics, figuring that his senior was having some sort of mental breakdown. So instead, he just walked up to the door, taking the keys and unlocking it.

Mayuzumi managed to compose himself, knowing if he made a fool of himself now, it would just be worse at three in the morning. He followed after Akashi, opening the slightly ajar door and closing it behind him. He stopped.

"Goddammit, you've got to be kidding me."

The inside was well furnished, like a professional interior designer had come in and worked their magic throughout the abode. The tile on the floor was mainly covered with a deep red carpet, the main room a combination of a living room and kitchen. The whole theme of design was glass furniture, with complex glass light fixtures, a glass coffee table, shelves, chairs, and dining table. Hell, even the outlet and light switch covers were glass.

Akashi ignored him in his awe, slipped off his shoes, and walked around the corner of the kitchen area, disappearing into the hallway.

The senior half-heartedly followed him, wanting to at least explore the house a bit first before preparing for everything. Glancing at his wristwatch, he noted that it was almost eleven at night now. He figured he could search the lavish home briefly before going to help his young captain.

He poked around the place, raising a brow at how well everything was kept. There wasn't a speck of dust on the furniture, making him tsk.  _'Damn rich people.'_

"What are you doing, Chihiro?" Akashi said out of nowhere.

Mayuzumi almost jumped at the voice, believing for a moment that he was caught thinking out loud. "…Nothing really, I'm just checking the house."

The redhead looked almost distrustful, but dismissed it. "Help me set everything up. Some of the materials are in the closet straight down the hallway."

The gray eyed teen resisted the urge to sigh, and ambled down the hallway that Akashi had taken.

Reaching the closet, he opened it to reveal two full body mirrors, an electric fan, some hung up jackets, a bucket, and some cleaning supplies. As he kneeled down to first pick up the bucket, he called out down towards the hallway, "Which room are you going to perform the ritual in?"

"There is a windowless room down in the basement. It should suffice." Akashi replied back, not too far away in another room.

Great, then he would have to carry a bunch of stuff downstairs.

He hung the handle of the bucket around his right arm, picked up the two mirrors in the other, and finally picked up the electric fan with his right hand.

As he turned around to ask Akashi where the stairs were, he thought he saw something red flash in the mirror. He looked at it again, seeing nothing out of the norm.  _'Probably just a trick of the lighting.'_

Akashi walked out of a room next to the hallway carrying two wooden chairs stacked upon each other. "This way," he motioned for Mayuzumi to follow.

They both went across the main room and to a connecting entryway that Mayuzumi had not noticed earlier. There was a simple arch shape connected to the ceiling, leading downstairs.

Akashi switched on a light before descending, and the senior followed in suit, careful about his footing.

The red head reached the bottom of the long flight of stairs, turning on another light, revealing a relatively empty downstairs. There were only lights, a futon, a flat screen TV, and a set of double doors in the back revealing the backyard.

Akashi turned at the foot of the stairs, proceeding into another connecting entryway, hidden by the corner of the stairs.

There were two doors. The young captain opened the one straight down the entryway, Mayuzumi sparing a glance at the other one before heading inside.

As Akashi had said, the room was the only one the gray eyed teen had seen that lacked a window. In fact, the moment he stepped in, the temperature was noticeably colder.

The throne, a slightly larger wooden chair with plush seating was already placed facing north. Akashi placed the two wooden chairs towards the throne, and the senior leaned the two mirrors against the backrest of the chairs. He placed the electric fan down behind the throne.

"Test that out, see if the mirrors are just in your peripheral. I'll go fill up the bucket," Mayuzumi turned to go back up the stairs.

One would think to leave now. Mayuzumi just wanted to grab everything and run. The senior was tempted to, as he hiked up the stairs to find the sink in the kitchen. It would be smarter to, and he could get far enough away that before Akashi would realize it, he'd be far away. He could at least persuade Akashi to get some sleep before the set time, and he could sneak out then. But Mayuzumi was not that kind of person. As much as he doesn't want to, he has to lie in the grave he dug for himself. Plus, even if he did run away at this point, who knows what was outside, lurking in the shadows. Sure, he learned to hide his presence, but getting home on foot would take two hours at least. Buses wouldn't be operating frequently at ungodly hours like twelve to three A.M.

He placed the bucket in the sink, turning on the faucet and letting it run as he waited and looked at the luxurious interior of the home. After about ten seconds, he turned back to the faucet to turn it off, only to stop and look twice at the bucket's contents.

There were millions of glass shards floating in the water. The senior almost hadn't realized there were any, but noticed how the water was too reflective.

If he hadn't noticed, he would have possibly thrown broken glass as Akashi later.

That wouldn't have been pretty.

He searched the kitchen for a colander. Finding one stashed in a nearby drawer, he emptied the contents of the bucket over the colander. He dumped the glass in the trash, then refilled the bucket.

He carried the bucket back downstairs, and walked through the door to find Akashi having set up the now running fan on a stool behind the throne, and the candle holder place on the throne. The redhead had a pillar candle in one hand and a cigarette lighter in the other.

Mayuzumi walked towards the throne, placing the bucket down next to the foot of it. He thought for a moment, trying to remember something he wanted to ask.

"What valuable item did you choose?"

Akashi glanced at him, then placed the candle in the holder and slipped the lighter into his back pants pocket. He reached into the other back pocket, pulling out a shogi piece.

"The King piece," he answered, looking it almost longingly. The senior walked over, taking a closer look at the object. It was worn, like it had been used for years. The wood's color was lighter than other pieces and he could tell that the kanji on the piece had been repainted.

Mayuzumi felt that it was a memorial, or maybe a gift given to him years back. "Was it given to you by a shogi instructor?"

The exceptional shogi player did not answer, and pocketed the piece. Finally, he answered with a vague, "It's simply a reminder."

The older teen decided to leave it at that.

"Do you have your cellphone, Chihiro?"

Mayuzumi pulled his flip phone out, flipping it open to see he had about fifty percent battery life left. He decided to turn it off.

"Is there a bed downstairs, or will we have to sleep upstairs?"

"I will not be sleeping. You may have the bed in the room right next to this one," Akashi supplied.

The senior sighed, expecting that.

"All right, I'll go sleep now. Wake me when it's time," He turned out the door, and slowly opened the door Akashi mentioned, finding a simple room with a queen size bed.

Mayuzumi didn't bring any sleepwear, so he decided to just hop into the bed. Before he tucked himself in, he took off his wristwatch and placed in on the small nightstand next to the bed. Being a digital one, he set an alarm just in case Akashi fell asleep or forgot about him.

He turned to look at the ceiling, searching for anything to follow his eyes with. When he found nothing, he sighed and pulled the covers over him, quickly falling asleep.

* * *

_Beep…_

_Beep…_

_Bee-_

Mayuzumi turned off the alarm, squinting in the darkness against the flashing numbers. 3:29 A.M.

He sat up, lifting the covers. Still half asleep, he raised his arms over his head and stretched, feeling the satisfying pops from his back.

Slowly, he stood up, and he registered the distant whirr of the fan in the other room. Good, the door hadn't been closed yet.

Tip-toing out of the room, he looked towards the room for the ritual, and didn't see Akashi present yet, so he turned the opposite way.

Oh.

Said red head was resting on the couch, still in a sitting position. The senior strode towards the younger one, knowing he had to wake up within a few seconds or the ritual wouldn't work.

He shook the sleeping teen. "Oi, Akashi. Get up," He wasn't particularly gentle, so he wasn't too surprised when the red head suddenly grabbed his wrist and gripped it tightly.

"Do not jostle me, Chihiro," Akashi peeked open his left eye, his Emperor Eye gleaming like a cat's in the darkness.

Mayuzumi yanked his hand away, rubbing it. Slightly pissed, he went straight to the point. "You fell asleep. You would've missed the ritual had I not set an alarm."

"I was merely resting my eyes. You needn't have alerted me," The young captain stood up, brushing aside the other as he walked past.

The senior rolled his eyes.  _'What a load of bullshit.'_ "Well, don't stress yourself out too much, Your Highness."

Mayuzumi hadn't quite meant for that to slip out. Being tired made him a whole lot less tolerant of everything. Akashi faced the senior, having pulled out the lighter to navigate the way to the room. The gray eyed teen wouldn't admit how much Akashi's eyes scared him with just a small flame outlining the contours of his face. The younger teen stared at him oddly for a brief moment before turning away.

Akashi walked straight ahead, and Mayuzumi remembered he needed to turn on his cellphone. "Does your cellphone have battery?"

"I charged it while you were asleep."

Mayuzumi was silent, having nothing more to say. "Guess I'll be waiting at the foot of the stairs then."

"Frightened?" The younger one taunted.

The other gave him a look that said,  _'Don't even start with me.'_

Akashi smirked, and the senior went to go sit on the stairs.

The young captain was just about to enter the room before he heard, "Don't freak yourself out by turning on the lights."

The redhead didn't quite know what that meant, probably just the senior losing it after being awakened at an ungodly hour like this.

He took a silent, deep breath. Although Akashi didn't show it, he was definitely anxious. This was exponentially different from a basketball game. In a game, he'd head into it with nearly everything mapped out, making sure that every little detail he plans is put forth into action, and that no mercy is shown to assure victory. Winning is like breathing, after all.

But what about something like this?

This, he had no idea what to expect. There was absolutely no foreknowledge of the circumstances. Would the ritual even work? What would he hear? What would he sense? Would the atmosphere be different? Should he be polite? Wait, that was kind of obvious. You surely don't want to piss off beings from the spirit world.

It was too late to turn back now.

Akashi walked in, and was heavily tempted to walk right back out.

The room was cold, very cold. That much should've been expected, as the fan had been running for quite a while.

But that wasn't what set Akashi off.

There was almost a suffocating feeling in the room, like a looming presence was all around him, watching his every move with a critical gaze.

For the majority of his life, he'd been the one with the hugest, most intimidating presence. There wasn't a place where he set foot into and people didn't whisper a thing or two about him.

Now though, he was beginning to feel like his presence was dwindling by the second in this room.

Checking his cellphone, he realized it was already 3:32, and rushed forward to take his seat. He picked up the candle by its holder, lit it, and sat down.

The urge to look at the mirrors was overwhelming.

He forced himself to stare forward while he crossed his legs, his left hand holding the candle in his lap, the right on the armrest.

After hearing nothing, he became impatient. But soon, he felt like the presence was getting stronger, to the point where it seemed like he was shut in, never to escape.

That wasn't quite right, though.

It felt more like he was in an endless black space. The walls of the room began to seem like an illusion, and Akashi resisted the vulnerable feeling settling in his stomach.

_'Calm yourself, Seijuurou.'_

Those weren't his thoughts.

In his peripheral, he saw the mirrors flicker with movement, almost like they were mocking him.

With practiced discipline, it was easy to stare straight forward, but that incessant hum of the fan was getting on his nerves. It seemed louder in the dead silence.

He didn't realize it when he heard hushed voices coming from all around him.

_'Oh?'_

Even when he focused, Akashi could not discern any coherent words from the murmurs, just knowing that there were sounds that shouldn't belong.

"…me...er…ea…a…i."

"To whom am I speaking to?" Akashi finally asked, having enough of the muddled voices.

Silence.

The red head rested his head on his right hand, waiting with bated breath.

"…th…r."

He tightened his grip on the candle holder.

That voice came from his left. It sounded feminine, and somewhat familiar.  _'The Queen,'_  he deduced.

"…You've forgotten," the female voice on the left murmured.

The King had to resist shivering, that voice was quiet, yet right next to his ear, almost like it was whispering a secret to him.

"What have I forgotten?" he replied in a delicate whisper.

"…Who I am," came from the left.

"Yourself," came from the right.

Akashi's eyes widened a fraction, bewildered. He hadn't the slightest clue what either was referring to, and both of them only vaguely replying together made it more vexing.  _'I've forgotten someone and myself?'_

It didn't help that the voice from the right sounded like him.

The two voices went back to discussing in a muffled tone, yet Akashi was sure they were speaking about him.

The King was clenching the candle holder at this point, not wanting to give away that he was uneasy.

"…Who have I forgotten?" he decided to first address the female voice, more concerned with that one than his own.

"Someone who loves you," came an intriguing reply from the left.

"How could you forget?" taunted the right.

Akashi was only getting more agitated as it dragged on, and he wanted nothing more than to just turn and look at his reflections.

"…ro…ne..nt."

The movement in the mirrors heightened, and Akashi finally realized he had been holding his breath for a while. Whether it was out of excitement or fear, he didn't know. He silently took another deep breath of air, weighing his options. Should he talk to the left or right? The left sounded like someone who knew him well, while the right one seemed like The Fool.

Either way, it was compelling.

"Who are you to know who I am?" He asked to either of them.

"Yourself, whom you continue to deny," came from the right. "Kuroko would be disappointed as well."

 _'Tetsuya?'_  Why would he be brought into this? Akashi at this point though, had a good idea as to who was to his right.

"Look at the way you treat your current team. Even though you stand at the top, everyone keeps their distance," the right one said in a scornful tone.

"Seijūrō -kun," came a pitying voice from the left.

The woman on the left was much too familiar for comfort. Akashi flicked his right wrist, confirming the telltale instrument still slotted in his sleeve as a backup.

"Everyone should keep their distance. No one needs to stand at the top with me, since that is what a victor is," Akashi coolly replied to the right.

"You must not think that way, Seijūrō-kun," the left one said in a sad tone.

"Isn't it lonely at the top?" the right one mimicked the left one's tone.

"I have remained victorious since the beginning. I have ignored any sense of 'loneliness,'" Akashi's reply was cold. The Queen and Fool were getting on his nerves now.

After a moment of silence, the Fool continued. "They all left you out of their own will."

"You didn't have to face it on your own," The Queen seemed to talk about a separate topic than from the Fool.

"Who left?" The red head nearly turned his eyes towards the Fool, provoked.

"Your Teiko teammates, Midorima, Muraskibara, Aomine, Kise, and finally Kuroko, all left you. Nobody was enjoying their time in the basketball club by the third year. Haven't you figured out why Kuroko was the first to leave?" The Fool was finally starting to talk, and Akashi couldn't have been more pleased.

"Are you insinuating that I didn't know why in the first place?" Of course Akashi knew. Kuroko was the weakest. Feeling incompetent in the team of talented players, he left first in search of relief.

"…I know you know the true reason. You just continue to deny it, like I said earlier," The Fool seemed disappointed, and the movement from the right stilled.

" _You_  are the one that continues to deny me _. I am absolute_. Since I always win, I'm always right. There is no room for you, and there  _never_  will be," Akashi was seething at this point. He was sure of it. The one in the right mirror was him, before he attained his Emperor Eye.

"Seijūrō-kun, please calm down. There is no need to be angry," The Queen spoke up, voice eerily calming. "I'm here for you now."

Akashi still didn't know who this woman was. How  _dare_  she act like she understood, like he even  _needed_  comfort? "I don't even know who you may be, and yet you think I'll find you to be reassuring?"

"If you haven't figured it out now, you're more of a fool than I thought you were," The Fool brought up, and Akashi could hear a sneer in the voice.

"Seijūrō-kun, it's all right. I can make the bad things go away.  _I can save you now,_ " The Queen's tone had suppressed eagerness, like she was elated at the possibility.

Akashi flicked his wrist out harshly, and a large pair of scissors slipped out of his sleeve as he held it threateningly.  _"Just who is The Fool here?"_ He was furious now, how dare The Fool dub him,  _The King_ , to such a condemning title? Why was the Queen trying to draw him in? He didn't need anyone. He was The King,  _the lone ruler_. He pointed the scissors towards the right mirror.

"This is also why you continue to stand alone at the top. You're a tyrant, governing a dystopia. You're The Fool, which is why no one is happy," the right mirror berated, voice rising.

"I'm here, Seijūrō-kun."

Akashi finally turned his head left, feeling his heart catch in his throat.

In the mirror was a beautiful red-haired woman.

"…Mother?" He gaped, and wanted to shake his head in disbelief.

"It's okay now, Seijūrō-kun. You just have to rely on me," his mother said in a too friendly manner, her red eyes gleaming dangerously into Akashi's own.

This was not his mother.

 _"Why don't you start depending on others? Maybe then you'd get somewhere."_  Akashi turned hate filled eyes right, expecting to see the appearance of his former self.

Except the face in the mirror was warped beyond recognition, unrecognizable; only smears of red could be seen above the shape of a body.

_"I have always loved you. I'm sad you forgot."_

_"It's not you who's disappointed."_

_"There are others, but it's fine. I'm here for you."_

_"Foolish."_

_Ha._

_"Foolish Seijūrō-kun."_

_Hahaha._

_"You're The Fool."_

_Ha._

Akashi lunged.

* * *

Mayuzumi didn't hear it at first, as his eyes were drooping, falling in and out of consciousness.

But the smell of smoke jolted him awake.

A series of large cracking sounds were heard from the room, and Mayuzumi rushed to see what had happened.

What he saw would be imprinted into his mind for years to come.

Akashi stood in the room, head tilted downward at one of the mirrors on the ground, a pair of scissors jutting out from the glass. Glass was everywhere, and the second mirror was broken beyond repair.

That wasn't the main concern, though.

The whole room was slowly catching on fire, as the candle was tipped on its side on the ground, forgotten.

"Akashi!" Mayuzumi shouted over the quickly spreading fire.

He rushed forward and grabbed the red head's wrist, ready to pull him out of the place.

He stopped as he looked at Akashi's hands, which were bleeding.

"What's wrong…  _Mayuzumi Chihiro_?" Akashi looked up, and Mayuzumi's heart nearly stopped.

Two golden eyes stared wide eyed back at him, a too wide grin stretched on his face.

_"Fool."_

* * *

A/N: This is the game, Three Kings. I read one personal account on reddit that I based a large portion of this off of. It's titled, "My Three Kings Experience," located in the NoSleep subreddit.

Mayuzumi's, "King of Solitude" refers to a nickname of his in the newest Replace Novel.

Man, this one was hard to write. I had to pay attention to little nitpicky details, just like Akashi's personality.

Hope you enjoyed!


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